Mail-carrier.



J. T. WILEY.

MAIL CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5. 1911.

Patented Mays), 1911.

UNITE 5o SATES FTOE.

MAIL-CARRIER.

T 0 all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES T. /ViLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vest Hamlin, in the county of Lincoln and State of Vest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Czni'iers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to ii'nprovement-s in mail carriers and has for its object to provide a novel and simple device of this character for carrying the mail from the roadside to the house.

A further object resides in the provision of means for holding the mail receptacle or box, such means being adapted to be released by the postman, and means for automatically moving the carrier toward the house.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the mail may be easily and quickly delivered without requiring the householder to walk to the roadside at which the mail box is arranged.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel features of construction, combination and arrange ment of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mail carrying device embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating a slightly modified form of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing 5 designates two vertical parallel standards which are arranged adjacent to the house, one of said standards being of greater length than the other as indicated at 5. Between the standards a pulley G is mounted upon a suitable supporting shaft arranged in the standard. A second pair of standards 7 are also arranged at the roadside and a pulley 8 similar to the pulley 6 is also mounted between the upper ends of these standards. An endless carrier rope or cable 9 traverses the pulleys 6 and 8 and upon this cable the mail box 10 is arranged. This mail box may be of any desired form and construction but as shown in the drawing is substantially rectangular and has arranged upon its top and adjacent to either end thereof an eye 11 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 5, 1911.

Patented May 9, 1911.

Serial No. 600,984.

which is rigidly secured upon the upper stretch of the carrier 9. A depending U- shaped plate 12 is fixed to the bottom of the carrier 10 and between the parallel arms of this plate a pair of spaced guide rollers 13 are mounted. The lower stretch of the carrier 9 is movably disposed between these guide rollers. Upon one end of the mail box 10 and extending below the same, a latch plate 1st is secured. This latch plate is adapted to engage with a spring latch member 15 mounted upon the upper end of a post 16 which is arranged at the roadside adjacent to the standard 7. This spring latch member is adapted to be engaged by the plate 14 and holds the mail box in position to receive the mail, suitable means being provided to automatically move the mail box upon the release of the latch by the carrier so that the box is disposed adjacent to the house whereby the mail may be conveniently removed by the householder without requiring him to walk to the roadside as is the case when the mail box is stationary. This means for causing the carrier to move around the pulleys 6 and 8 and thus move the mail box or receptacle comprises a drum 16 which is mounted upon the extended end of the shaft 6 upon which the pulley 6 is secured. Upon the upper end 5 of the longer standard 5, a pulley 17 is rotatably mounted over which a rope or cable 18 passes. One end of this rope is secured to the drum 16 and upon the other end thereof a weight 19 is fixed. A crank handle 20 is formed upon or suitably secured to the shaft 6' whereby the pulley 6 may be rotated'by the householder to* move the mail box outwardly to the roadside where itis held by means of the latch members 11 and 15. In this movement of the box, the rope or cable 18 is swung upon the drum whereby the Weight 19 is elevated. After the postman has deposited the mail in the box, he presses downward upon the resilient latch member 15 to release the same from engagement with the plate 1 1. The weight 19 thereupon descends and rotates the pulleys 6 and 8 to move the carrier in the proper direction to cause the mail box to move inwardly from the roadside to the standards In the end wall of the mail box opposite to the latch plate 1d, a bell 21 is arranged, the hammer of said bell being actuated by means of a push button or rod 22. When the box 10 reaches the limit of its inward movement, this pin engages the pulley 0 so that the pin is forced inwardly to cause the hammer to strike the bell. In this manner an alarm is given to the householder so that he is instantly notified when the box contains mail matter. After the mail has been removed from the box, he then returns the same to its position at the roadside. The shaft of the outer pulley 8 isalso provided with a crank handle 20 whereby the postman may move the mail box to the outer end of the flexible carrier at the roadside when it has been left by the householder at the inner end of the carrier after the removal of the mail.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction and manner of operation of my improved mail carrier for rural. communities will be readily understood.

The device is simple, and extremely ellicient and convenient in practical use. The necessity for leaving the house in inclement weather is entirely avoided.

The device may also be readily constructed at an extremely small cost and is very durable in practical use.

lVhile I have shown and described the preferred construction and arrangement of the various parts, it will be understood that the device is susceptible of considerable modification without departing from the sential feature or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Fig. a shows a modified form of the de vice wherein the mail box 10 is suspended below the lower stretch of the carrier 9, the bar 12 carrying the friction roller being fixed to the upper stretch of the carrier. The bell push 29 is adapted to strike the standard 5 when the box reaches the limit of its movement.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:-

1,. In a device of the character described, the combination of two pairs of standards, pulleys rotatably mounted between said standards, a flexible carrier traversing said pulleys, a receptacle rigidly attached to one stretch of the carrier, a latch device for holding the receptacle in position adjacent to one pair of the standards, and means for automatically moving the carrier to posi tion the receptacle adjacent to the other pair of standards when the latch is released.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination of two pairs of standards, pulleys rotatably mounted between said standards, a flexible carrier traversing said pulleys, a receptacle rigidly secured upon the upper stretch of the carrier, guide rollers mounted on the receptacle, the lower stretch of the carrier being movable between said rollers, co-acting latch elements arranged adjacent to one pair of the standards and carried by the receptacle to hold the receptacle against movement, and means for moving said flexible carrier to dispose the receptacle adjacent to the other pair of standards when the latch is released.

In a device of the character described, two pairs of vertical standards, one of the standards of one pair being of greater length than the other, pulleys mounted between each pair of standards, one of the pulley shafts being extended through the Slllllldttltl, a drum mounted thereon, a pulley mounted upon the upper end of the longer standard, a cable fixed to said drum and extending over said pulley, a weight: on the end of the cable, cranks on the pulley shafts to rotate said pulleys, a flexible carrier traversing said pulleys, a receptacle fixed upon the upper stretch of the carrier, the rotation of the pulley shaft upon which the drum is arranged moving the carrier to dispose the receptacle adjacent to the other pulley, a latch device for holding the receptacle in such position, the rotation of said drum elevating the weight on the end of the cable, whereby upon the release of the latch device the descent of said weight moves the carrier to dispose the receptacle ad acent to the other pulley.

In testimony whereof I hereunto atllx my signature 1n the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES T. WILEY.

Witnesses FRANK THORNTON, Mam) WALKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

